Weekly Update

Hello parents and students!   

How the weather has changed... just weeks ago we were wearing t-shirts outside.  We used the new weather to inspire us to brainstorm descriptive ways we could describe winter.  We read an arctic tale about a blizzard and then the students started working in small groups, together creating a poem about winter/blizzards.  Their poems are very creave and are coming along nicely! I've seen a lot of growth in the students writing since we did the fall group poems. I look forward to seeing the final product!

The students worked on their 'Promise is a Promise' watercolour painting with Mrs. Hittel the art teacher last week. The students picked a quote from a story and used the text to adapt their version of a picture from the story.  The paintings turned out very well!  Look out for a display on sharing night.

The students are continuing their arctic fairytale writing.  We are getting closer to the publishing process.  We have a new editing process we have implemented in class, it always gives the students something to work on because they are aware of what step they should be on before they can more on. Most of the students are onto their typing, being fairly new to typing it's understandable that some get frustrated but we have talked about how practice will help them get even quicker as time goes on.  I found these websites online that are fun to practice typing skills if your child is interested in checking out:

Typing games
Powertyping
Dance mat typing

We have been continuing to use the base ten blocks and indentifying multiple ways to represent numbers.  We are learning how to do multi-step problems with the base blocks and though it is challanging, it is important for the students to be able to solve problems using multiple steps, it is a skill that will help them in the future!

As we have been doing our inquiry work the students are creating a large mural of 'showing what we know'.  They has learned quite a bit during doing their research and by create the mural the student can reflect on what they know and what do they still hope to learn about more.

I recently read the students a story called 'Winston of Churchill: One Bear's Battle Against Global Warming'  It touched on the problem in Churchill, Manitoba with the polar bears unable to make it to Churchill to hunt for food due to the melting ice floats and the inablility for the bears to swim such long distances.  It was a great little story indicating the small things the average person can do to help.  I'll be showing them a video this week taken at Churchill where scientists explain what they know about polar bears and the kind of work they do with them.
 

Robert Munsch reads

In class we read the book 'A Promise is a Promise' by Robert Munsch.  I'm trying to get the students really familiar with the story so we can do a project in conjuntion with our arctic inquiry work.  I read them the story and today they listened to Robert Munsch read the story from his website!  If your child would like to hear the story again, or share with someone else here is the link to listen to it:

A Promise is a Promise

Enjoy!

Ms. Q

Weekly Update

Hello parents and students!

It was a busy week full of a lot of activities! The students have continued their arctic fairytale writing and it's coming along really well.  The students are realizing the expectations now when they write, we are learning how to rewrite, revise and edit our work so it can be even better.  This week as a class we had a discussion of what it would be like to live in Iqaluit compared to Calgary, the pros and cons.  I think the consensus was that it would be a pretty neat place to live, but the cold would scare off many!  We then discussed what we would need to life there sucessfully.  We will continue this idea and think of needs vs. wants.  I will eventually show the students the price differences between groceries there compared to here!  They could not believe when I told them that a lire of orange juice that cost just over $2.00 here cost $23.00 up there!  So that makes us think..... If you lived there, would you really NEED orange juice to live?  It's an interesting discussion that began to take place...

We did our soap carvings on Friday!  They turned out really well and the students were excited to see their work transform when we painted the soap with the ink paint so the etched part would stand out.  We  are not finished with the carvings though, the students will eventually write a story inspired by their art. 

On Friday we were also very lucky because Quest theatre came to our school and performed Big Sister, Little Brother.  It's aplay inspired by "The Emporer's New Clothes".  It was wonderful and I think the students really enjoyed it.  It was good timing because the students are writing their own story based on another one, so we talked about the idea of  'adapting' stories when we create our own sometimes.

In math we have been working with base ten blocks, the idea of representing and trading.  It's something that can be very difficult and a struggle to understand at first, so if your child wishes to practice more at home here are some great websites:

Blocks representing numbers
Blocks representing numbers #2
Identify the number

101 Dalmations choir practice starts on Tuesday during lunch, even though the deadline to sign up was Friday if your child is still interested in being in the musical, you can find the form off the Chaparral school website and bring it in on Monday or ASAP! 

Ms. Q

Free theatre at the Calgary Public library!

Calgary Young People's theatre is presenting a 45 minute show at various Calgary Public library  locations based on the works of Shel Silverstein. The works of the well known and loved writer who brought us The Giving Tree and Lafcadio, the lion who shot back.


  I thinks this would be a wonderful opportunity for the students to check out the show!  If you're interested in attending you need to do a few things.


1.  Your child needs to have their own public library card.  If they do not have one yet just head over to your nearest public library. (The Shawnessy one is closest to Chaparral)  It's free and quick to sign up.  (Who can argue with free?)
2.  You need to register in person, on the phone or online.  Head to this website if you want to register online:

Shel Silverstein 

Just search 'Shel Silverstein' in the search box and you can register.


Unfortunately the show at the Shawnessy location is full but there are still plenty of room at other libraries around the city!

Hope some of you check it out, should be a good time!

Ms.Q

Math problem

Hello parents and students!

Feel free to check out this months family math problem from the Chaparral school website:

November math problem

If any students want to share how they came up with the solution I encourage them to bring it to school and share with the class!

Ms. Q